Isaiah 36
This invasion was the final thrust of the Assyrians to take control of Judah. Assyria had conquered Israel's northern kingdom as well as Judah's fortified cities and surrounding countryside. Only Jerusalem was left to capture. (Isaiah 36:1-3)
Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, was personally involved in the siege of Lachish, a city west of Jerusalem, while he detached a part of his army, under his general, Rabshakeh, to besiege Jerusalem. Rabshakeh (a term for a military official), breezed into Jerusalem and stood by "the conduit of the upper pool on the highway to the Washer's Field" (Isaiah 36:2b). He aimed to intimidate by brazenly positioning himself by the water supply, Jerusalem's lifeline. Rabshakeh seems to be puzzled by the resistance of the Jews and their seeming confidence that he will fail in his efforts to take the city,
Officials in Hezekiah's administration (Eliakim, Shebna and Joah), including the people of Jerusalem, came out to listen (Isaiah 36:2-3) as Rabshakeh delivered an oration from Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, intending to generate great fear. (Isaiah 36:4-10) Notice the puzzlement in his words. He goes on to list what he thinks to be their resources. Egypt would be no help to them, he says. Then, remembering that Israel was a religious nation, he asks was it Jehovah they were relying on? He reminds Hezekiah that the king himself had ordered the destruction of many of the high altars around Jerusalem that were dedicated to the worship of Jehovah. What the pagan general failed to realize, of course, was that those altars were built in opposition to God's word, that the only place he was to be worshipped was in the temple in Jerusalem. Hezekiah himself had torn down these rival altars.
Rabshakeh also suggests that Hezekiah is perhaps counting on his own army to withstand the Assyrian attack. He offers the king a wager which he feels he cannot lose, saying sarcastically, "l will give you two thousand horses, if you are able on your part to set riders upon them." Thus, in words dripping with irony, he points out the weakness of Judah from a military viewpoint. Finally, Rabshakeh returns to the idea that Israel is depending upon God for deliverance, saying in verse 10:"Moreover, is it without the Lord that I have come up against this land to destroy it? The Lord said to me, Go up against this land, and destroy it." (Isaiah 36:10a RSV)
He may very well have been referring to the prophecies which Isaiah had already made concerning an Assyrian attack. In any event he is here claiming God's support for his attack upon Judah.
To deter discouragement in the children of Israel, Hezekiah's officials asked Rabshakeh to speak in his native Aramaic tongue. But Rabshakeh refused and addressed Israel in their own Hebrew language as a means of intimidation. (Isaiah 36:11-12) Rabshakeh wanted Hezekiah's people to hear and fear Assyria's threats. Aiming to entice Israel to surrender, Rabshakeh promised safety and provision. (Isaiah 36:16-17) So, despite the appeal made to him, the Rabshekah goes on to urge the people loudly -- and in Hebrew -- to not let Hezekiah deceive them, to not let him "make you rely on the Lord," to not "listen" to him, and to "beware lest Hezekiah deceive you." First, he says, Hezekiah cannot deliver them; he is powerless. Second, he charges, Hezekiah's faith is groundless; it is nothing but words. Third, he promises that Assyria w ill treat them kindly and give them a prosperous land if they will but surrender. Finally, he implies that the God they depend on is, in his estimation, as powerless as the gods of the cities the Assyrians have already overcome. The Israelites respond to this with silence.
With no clue of how the God of Israel liberates, Rabshakeh sought to cause doubt of God's deliverance. (Isaiah 36:14-15) He said to the people,"Beware lest Hezekiah mislead you by saying, 'The LORD will deliver us'"(Isaiah 36:18). Rabshakeh insulted Israel's true God by comparing pagan gods to His holy ways. (Isaiah 36:18-20)
God's strategy for dealing with our enemies originates from the covenant He gave to Abraham. It was a solemn, binding agreement to always bless and take care of him. (Genesis 15) We, too, have access to all the benefits of God's covenant when we acknowledge and follow Jesus as Savior and Lord. When Christ was crucified on the cross, the New Testament covenant was passed down to us because of His willingness to be the atonement for our sin. (Luke 22:20) As part of this covenant agreement, God says our enemies are now His enemies. (Exodus 23:22)
Satan's strategy is as old as the beginning of time when he lied to Adam and Eve and tried to convince them that God had lied to them. The field commander follows the same suit and tries to convince the people of Judah not to place their confidence in God. He lies to them and arrogantly makes threats. When we are facing a battle, we must choose whose stronghold we are going to run to. We can choose to seek God and allow Him to be our stronghold knowing that He will fight for us and the battle has already been won. But often, we give up without a fight. The enemy knows he cannot win this battle so he just speaks lies to us and we give up and walk into those strongholds ourselves. (see